Sloan (band)

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Sloan is a power pop quartet from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The band was formed in 1991 when Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott met at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax; Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson joined soon after. In 1992 the band created their own record label, Murderecords, for themselves and other Halifax area bands, and released the Peppermint EP. Later in 1992 they released their full-length album Smeared on Geffen Records.

In 1994 Geffen did not promote Sloan's second album, Twice Removed, although it sold well in Canada. Spin Magazine named it one of the "Best Albums You Didn't Hear" in 1994. As well, it was named the best Canadian album ever recorded in a 1996 reader poll by the Canadian music magazine Chart, and again in 2005.

After being dropped from the Geffen roster, the band went on hiatus and were rumoured to have broken up, but in 1996 they released the widely praised One Chord to Another on their own Murderecords label. They continue to release albums, including 1999's live album 4 Nights at the Palais Royale. In 2003, they released their seventh album, Action Pact. They now have a U.S. record deal with Koch Records. Sloan's newest album is due out in September 2006 with a single to be released in July.

All four members of Sloan write their own songs, and when they play live they switch instruments, accordingly. Murphy plays bass, sometimes guitar, and often drums. Pentland plays guitar. Scott plays drums, keyboards, and guitar. Ferguson plays guitar and bass. All four members of the band perform lead vocals, generally on the songs they write. Although Murphy wrote the bulk of the band's early songs, on most of Sloan's albums all four members contribute songs. Notably, Scott has no songs on Action Pact. According to , producer Tom Rothrock essentially randomly chose the songs for Action Pact out of what the band submitted without making an attempt to represent each band member, a far different process than the band's usual egalitarian negotiation; Rothrock happened to pick only songs by Murphy, Pentland, and Ferguson. Scott's songwriting output at the time also was diminished due to his duties as a new father.

According to Sloan's official website, the band's name refers to a friend's nickname. Their friend [Jason Larsen] was called "slow one" by his French-speaking boss, which with a French accent sounds like "Sloan". The agreement was they could name the band after his nickname as long as he was on the cover of their first album. The name stuck for Larsen, who appeared on the cover of the Peppermint EP.

A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005, including two new songs, "All Used Up" and "Try to Make It", was released on May 3, 2005. The package includes a DVD featuring music videos and live performances for each of the compilation's songs, including documentary footage of the videos' making.

Discography

External links

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